Pinderfields Hospital

Sue Sharp - Chair - my background is in teaching  and I have taught in both   mainstream  and  specialist provisions working with children from nursery through to year   6.  My passion for  working with SEND developed from the beginning in particular working   with children with ASD and I was fortunate to be  chosen to set up  set up the first   mainstream Autism Resource  within Wakefield.

 I moved over time into advisory work across schools in the district later  taking   responsibility for Advisory services and specialist resource provisions . I was service   manager for Inclusion and assessment and during this time worked with  PHPRU on a   number of pieces of work to benefit both the school and the provision for the local   authority  

 I am currently the Service Manager for SENDSS in Wakefield which allows me to be   involved  in both managing teams and a range of strategic work related to SEND and   continue to work with the Headteacher of the PHPRU  within a number of projects

 Out of work I am a keen trail runner  and cyclist… mainly on a variety of tandems, when I   am not being active I have 2 small grandsons who also keep me on my toes .

 Fiona Law- Vice Chair - SEND Member -  I was appointed to the Management Committee following my  retirement from WMDC, where I held the position of Service Manager, Education Psychology and  Assessment Services.

 I have worked as an Educational Psychologist in Wakefield since 1985.  During this time I have  worked closely with, what was, Pinderfields Hospital School when the base was at Pinderfields  General Hospital, through the changes to become a PRU and the change of location.

 I have three grown up sons who are all very different.  I am proud of them all.

 I enjoy living in Horbury, walking, social activities with friends and foreign travel.

 I look forward to maintaining my links with Pinderfields Hospital PRU and making a contribution to  the Management Committee.

 Helen Mumby - Head teacher, Pinderfields Hospital PRU - I became head teacher at  PHPRU in September 2016 after being assistant head for 2 years.

 Prior to this, I spent 11 years working as head of science and assistant head at Highfield Special  Needs High School in Ossett.

 I therefore possess a vast experience of working with students with a wide range of additional needs.

 I did not become a teacher until I was 39 which gave me experience of working out of  education  enabling me to share experiences with students to support them in looking at  careers. I was a Senior  Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer for the Public Health  Laboratory specialising in Virology for 10  years, and I then became a registered child  minder during the week and a Scientific Officer on a  weekend when my youngest child was  born.

 I have two grown-up children, two dogs and a tortoise.  In my spare time I like to sing and go to the cinema.  I love bling and sparkle in my  life.

Stephen Kershaw - Community member - Born in Manchester, I moved to Wakefield in 1999 and have made the city my home. I live near the city centre with my wife, and we have four children who are either in secondary school or university. In the last three years, I have been working as part of the site supervision team for a secondary school. and bring my knowledge and experience around site maintenance and health and safety knowledge to my work with the management committee.

 Rebecca Dorman - Community Member - I became a parent governor at PHPRU in October 2016, and then a community member in December 2024. I am a part-time teaching assistant at a primary school and work with children with a wide range of abilities.  I am married with three children, who tend to take up all the rest of my spare time.

 Rachel Sharp - Parent Member - I am currently a Head of Social Sciences in a secondary school and sixth form college. I started my career as a youth worker and have been very fortunate to work with lots of young people. My career started at Leeds City College where I set up their Student Union and supported young people who were at risk of exclusion. Following on from this I worked with young offenders at a charity called Nacro and also ran youth groups and playschemes for teenagers and children at Leeds Mencap. I then trained to be a Sociology and Criminology teacher where I have been fortunate to work with many students of different abilities and support them progressing into their next stages of life.

Julie Killey - Member - I became a member of the management committee following my retirement from my Head of Service (Inclusion Strategy and Performance) position at Wakefield Local Authority in April 2024. I began working in Wakefield in November 2019, before this I worked in Calderdale Local Authority for 28 years. I have extensive experience in leadership and management of the SEND system and services across both Children and Adults.   

 Emily Ashworth - Non Teaching Member

Pat Marshall - Community Member - I am a retired secondary school teacher with 37 years of varied experience in both mainstream schools and in a specialist setting. I began my career as a PE teacher at Royston Comprehensive School, Barnsley, where I spent 10 happy years, becoming head of department after 3 years. 

Once I started a family, I worked part time for 4 years in a number of Barnsley and Wakefield schools, teaching PE and French. It was during this time that I developed a passion for working with young people who were experiencing additional challenges in their learning, be it behavioural, social and emotional, severe learning difficulties associated with autistic spectrum conditions, inherited conditions, and most recently, working with growing numbers of individuals with mental health conditions. In 1994, I secured a permanent job at Roundwood Hill School, Wakefield, teaching young people with moderate learning difficulties and behavioural difficulties. The school relocated to Gawthorpe Ossett where it also had a name change at the time to Highfield School.

My career ended with 5 very happy years as the head teacher at Highfield School, where my proudest achievements were the re-designation of the school from 11-16 to 11-19, the development of post sixteen education on the school site, and the development of a successful supported internship programme for young people with severe learning difficulties. This programme was developed in partnership with Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, Pinderfields and Project Search, and has provided opportunities for young people with severe learning difficulties to have real, supported work experience placements, leading to opportunities to apply for and gain meaningful, paid employment just like their peers in mainstream settings.

I have been a keen sports player for most of my life, representing my county at Netball and Swimming, both as a teenager and an adult. I love walking my now elderly springer spaniel, enjoy coffee with friends where possible these days, gardening , DIY and spending time with family. I also love spending time at our house in Spain where I can relax and unwind in the gorgeous weather. I have been a governor on the local governing board at Accord MAT, Ossett Academy since September 2015, a role I enjoy and continue to fulfil. 

My motto for life is best summed up in the words of an M People song – “What have you done today to make you feel proud?”

Leanne Wilkinson - Community Member -  I am a dedicated mental health
nurse with extensive experience in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
My experience has given me a deep understanding of the challenges children and young
people face and the importance of supporting their health and mental health alongside their
education.
Currently, I work as a Designated Clinical Officer (DCO), a role that focuses on bridging
healthcare and education to ensure the needs of children and young people are met
holistically. My combined experience in mental health and leadership roles, will allow me to
contribute and support the needs of Pinderfields Hospital Pupil Referral Unit. My main focus
will always be to help promote well-being, improve outcomes, and support some of our most
vulnerable students.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and walking my dog, who truly
is the heart of our home and a constant source of joy.

 James Bradley - Teaching Staff Representative - I have been a teacher at Forest Wood since it opened in September 2018. This is a role I thoroughly enjoy. I work with some of our very complex children helping identify how best to meet their needs and supporting them and their families in many ways. I have worked temporarily as Teacher in Charge and also enjoy my additional roles as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and an ARFID (Avoidant and Restrictive Food Disorder) Champion.